Cullavagga, Khandaka 5, Chapter 31

1. Now at that time the Bhikkhus did not use tooth-sticks^[1], and their mouths got a bad odour. They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'There are these five disadvantages, O Bhikkhus, in not using tooth-sticks—it is bad for the eyes^[2]—the mouth becomes bad-smelling—the passages by which the flavours of the food pass are not pure—bile and phlegm get into^[3] the food—and the food does not taste well^[4] to him (who does not use them). These are the five disadvantages, O Bhikkhus, in not using tooth-sticks.'

There are five advantages, O Bhikkhus, (&c., the converse of the last)

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, tooth-sticks.'

2. Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus used long tooth-sticks; and even struck the Sāmaṇeras with them.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use long tooth-sticks. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, tooth-sticks up to eight finger-breadths in length. And Sāmaṇeras are not to be struck with them. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa.'

Now at that time a certain Bhikkhu, when using too short a tooth-stick, got it stuck in his throat.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use too short a tooth-stick. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, tooth-sticks four finger-breadths long at the least.'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Danta-kaṭṭham, not 'tooth-brushes,' as Childers translates. Mechanical skill had not advanced so far in those days; and we hear nothing of brushes of any kind (see above, V, 2, 3, as to hair-dressing). The 'tooth-sticks' were bits of sweet-smelling wood or root, or creeper (see Jātaka I, 80; Mahāvaṃsa, p. 23), the ends of which were to be masticated as a dentifrice, not rubbed on the teeth. After using them the mouth was rinsed out with water; and so in all other passages in the Khandhakas where they are mentioned (always in reference to the duty of providing them), it is in connection with the bringing of water for that purpose.

[2]:

This has of course nothing to do with keeping the teeth white and beautiful; that was not the purpose which the tooth-sticks were designed to effect. There seems to have been really some idea that the use of them was good for the eye-sight. So Buddhaghosa says here, acakkhussan ti cakkhūnaṃ hitaṃ ma hoti, parihāṇiṃ janeti, quite in accordance with the Sanskrit cakṣuṣya. The words recur below, VI, 2, 2, in the same sense.

[3]:

Pariyonandhanti. Literally, 'envelope,' 'cover.'

[4]:

Na cchādeti. This is a different word from chādeti, 'to cover.' It is chad No. 2 in Böhtlingk-Roth.